Auburn president Steven Leath said in a statement Tuesday that the university was "saddened, angry and disappointed" in associate head basketball coach Chuck Person in wake of his arrest by the FBI and the allegations leveled against the former Auburn great.

Leath was shocked by the revelation but found relief in the fact that the university was not implicated and is not a target of the investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

"I think it says clearly that they don't think there's some structural problem or some broader problem at the university, that this was an isolated individual," Leath told ESPN. "I don't think anybody else knew. I don't think there's any indication at Auburn that anybody else knew about this."

eam went "best-on-best" right out of the gate. During the first five minutes of action, the score was 23-9. While Pearl was pleased with the offense from the one side, he described the defense that allowed 23 points that quick as "awful."

"So which is it?" Pearl wondered Monday. "It's probably a combination of both.... I think it's an area that must improve or change. We're not going to wave a magic wand and have it change in five days. We're on it."

Defense, particularly in transition, was one of Auburn's biggest issues last season. The Tigers allowed 79.6 points per game last year, which was 321st of 347 Division I teams. Auburn was 145th in points allowed per 100 possessions with 103.3, according to KenPom's adjusted deficiency rankings. It was the highest allowed during Pearl's tenure at Auburn.

Pearl looks to change those stats, among others on the defensive end, this season. The fourth-year Auburn coach has taken it upon himself throughout the offseason to be more involved in the defensive scheme and take on more responsibility on that side of the court. Still, he has had to find a delicate balance between working to improve the defense while maintaining his focus as the team's offensive coordinator.

Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy can still practice with the Auburn basketball team, but whether they'll ever be able to play in a college game is unclear.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl provided an update on the uncertain futures of Wiley and Purifoy, who are being held out indefinitely due to their suspected connection with the federal complaint against assistant coach Chuck Person.

"It's an ongoing investigation. It's got to run its course," Pearl said following Auburn's 100-95 overtime loss in an exhibition with Division II Barry on Thursday. "We will be able to determine their eligibility over, hopefully a very short period of time. We're still not in a position where we could determine their eligibility yet. Therefore, out of caution, they weren't eligible to play."

Scarblog: If everything was normal, you could put a number of asterisks by Auburn's 100-95 overtime loss Thursday night in an exhibition game against Division II Barry College.

But nothing has been normal about Auburn basketball since Sept. 26 when a U.S. attorney announced the arrests of 10 people connected to a nationwide FBI investigation into the sport. One of those people was Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person.

The latest fallout from that scandal: Auburn announced Thursday morning that Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy, two of its top three players, will be held out of games for an indefinite period "to avoid any potential eligibility issues."

All evidence points to Purifoy as Player-1 and Wiley as Player-2 in the FBI complaint against Person. The complaint says Person claimed to have given about $11,000 to Purifoy's mother and about $7,500 to Wiley's mother in an attempt to steer their sons toward a financial adviser.

Unbeknowst to Person and the families, the financial adviser was working as an FBI informant.

If those allegations are true, don't expect to see Purifoy or Wiley in action in an Auburn uniform again. If their college careers are over, don't expect to see the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.

This development doesn't knock Auburn all the way back to square one, but it does put a serious dent in the progress Pearl had made in building a winning roster and generating real hope in the fan base.

This was supposed to be the year Pearl's hire paid off in a tangible way. His fourth Auburn team was supposed to be good enough to win 20 games and play in the postseason for the first time since the Tigers reached the 2009 NIT under Jeff Lebo.

Without Wiley at center and Purifoy at his natural small forward position, all bets are off. The Tigers may be fortunate to finish as high as ninth in the league, their predicted position in the SEC preseason poll.

Another obstacle is the uncertainty Auburn faces in terms of the ongoing FBI probe and what would appear to be an inevitable NCAA investigation to follow. The allegations against Person involve players who already were on the roster. Does the detective work stop there? Or does it examine how Auburn's recruiting took a giant leap forward with Person as the point man in that effort?

The entire situation would be troubling enough if this were an ordinary assistant coach and anonymous parents of players. It's not.

Person is one of the two biggest names in the history of Auburn men's basketball and remains the program's career scoring leader. Wiley's mother, Vickie Orr, is THE biggest name in the history of Auburn women's basketball.

Their reputations and the reputation of their old school are on the line. So is the idea that Pearl was the one coach who could make Auburn basketball relevant again.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is refusing to cooperate with the university's internal investigation of the basketball program, according to an ESPN report.

The report states that Pearl has been uncooperative with the school's internal investigation stemming from the September arrest of former associate head coach Chuck Person, who was indicted on six federal charges Tuesday, amid the FBI's investigation into the corruption of college basketball. The investigation is being conducted by Birmingham-based law firm Lightfoot, Franklin and White, which has also been retained by the school to conduct an internal review of the softball program amid that sport's scandal, as well as an investigation into allegations a part-time academic support staff member took a final exam for a former football player.

"This is an ongoing investigation and everyone is working to try to get our players certified and eligible, and it's a process," Pearl said Wednesday after practice. "You guys know from the very beginning I'm not allowed to comment on the process. We are definitely working through this."

An Auburn athletics spokeswoman did not immediately have comment when reached by AL.com

According to the report, Pearl has been advised by university officials that his job could be in jeopardy if he does not cooperate. Pearl has not spoken to the attorneys conducting the internal investigation, according to the report, and the school has not been able to determine if Pearl committed any wrongdoing or was involved in any NCAA violations because the FBI seized his computers and cell phones as part of its ongoing investigation.

Pearl, making an appearance on "Tiger Talk" ahead of Auburn's season opener at Auburn Arena on Friday night against Norfolk State, briefly addressed the elephant in the room: the ongoing FBI investigation surrounding the program following former associate head coach Chuck Person's arrest on Sept. 26 and the subsequent decision to indefinitely sit star players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy amid concerns about their eligibility.

"It is an unbelievable process what you have to go through to recertify and reexamine your program, and we're looking at everything," Pearl said. "It's a full-blown investigation, and it's unfortunate, but you know what? It was self-inflicted. We brought it upon ourselves and we are battling every day to get through this and let the focus be on our basketball team.

"For me, I apologize. I'm sorry, because I came here to bring credibility and a competitive basketball program to Auburn, and unfortunately this has been just an awful distraction for the university and our fans, and I'm sorry about it."

Pearl declined to comment on the matter Thursday, noting that it's an ongoing investigation and that they are "working through the process." He did, however, address the report with the team on Wednesday and told them to not worry about the outside noise and let the process run its course.

"I've tried to keep the kids as insulated from it as I possibly can," Pearl said on the radio. "They're human. They read the newspaper."

Pearl said he was informed Saturday afternoon that special assistant to the head coach Jordan VerHulst and video coordinator Frankie Sullivan were being put on leave, which the school announced Monday was being "until further notice," as part of the internal investigation into the program.

"It's a tough situation," Pearl said following practice on Monday. "Obviously, it's part of this investigation."

ESPN reported, via anonymous sources, VerHulst and Sullivan's actions were "related to the same type of issues that the FBI uncovered in its investigation" of former assistant coach Chuck Person, who was arrested on Sept. 26 and last week was indicted on six federal charges for bribery, fraud and conspiracy.

Asked if he had clarity as to what that meant and if VerHulst and Sullivan were accused of taking money or giving money to players, Pearl again said he did not know the details of what they are accused of.

Pearl said assistant coaches Chad Prewett, Harris Adler and Steven Pearl and graduate assistants Matt Gaten and Mike Burgomaster "have all taken a piece" of what VerHulst and Sullivan were doing and continuing to prepare for the three games Auburn will play in four days as part of the Charleston Classic, beginning Thursday morning against Indiana State.

With Bruce Pearl's job status in limbo, Auburn is set to leave Wednesday for the Charleston Classic:https://trib.al/WoWo6gY

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"When you're in the middle, or maybe hopefully towards the end, of an ongoing investigation, we have obviously had to survive an awful lot of discovery and a lot of information, we're still here," Pearl said. "But because it is ongoing, it just so happens to be at the start of our season, all you can do is take it one day at a time and continue to prepare.

"I don't think anybody's in a position to guarantee anybody's either eligibility or job security or things like that because it is an ongoing process. Yeah, it's difficult and (Monday) was a very difficult day, losing two staff members. Even though they're on paid indefinite suspension or indefinite suspension, that hurts, those guys are part of the family. It tugs at your heart; it's disruptive to the kids. But that's what going through this at this time does. You have to truly take it one day at a time."

Despite a report of his potential firing in the near future, two members of his support staff being put on leave and two of Auburn's best players being held out indefinitely amid the school's internal investigation, Pearl says he trusts school administrators.

Desean Murray's first double-double at Auburn led a balanced scoring effort for the Tigers in a dominant win to open the Charleston Classic.

Murray had 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead four players in double-figures in a 83-64 Auburn win over Indiana State Thursday morning in Charleston, S.C.

"The biggest number that stands out to me is the field goal percentage defense," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said on the radio. "To hold an Indiana State team that put 90 on Indiana and shot almost 58 percent to 30 percent shooting is a tremendous effort.

"Bryce Brown had to guard the best player in that league, one of the best players in that league, in Brenton Scott. Brenton Scott averages 20-something a game and he absolutely shut him down."

Bruce Pearl commented on remarks Auburn president Steven Leath made in a series of emails to fans that went public last week.

In the emails, Leath called Pearl's "unwillingness to even talk" with him about the university's ongoing internal review of the men's basketball program "troublesome." The emails were provided to AL.com late last week, and an Auburn spokesman confirmed the emails were from Leath.

"We're going through the process," Pearl said Monday. "Dr. Leath is in a tough spot. He's in a tough position. He's been fair. I trust the process. I trust him."

Pearl has repeatedly said he and the university are "going through the process" related to the internal review, which is being conducted by Birmingham-based law firm Lightfoot, Franklin and White, but he has not said whether he has done everything that has been asked of him.

The review stems from the September arrest of former associate head coach Chuck Person, who has been indicted on six federal charges, including bribery, fraud and corruption. Person is alleged to have received $91,500 in bribes over a 10-month span from Marty Blazer, a former crooked financial adviser who turned cooperating witness for the FBI in a widespread probe into the criminal influence of money on college basketball.

Contrary to an implication in a report by CBS, Bruce Pearl said there's been "no real change" to his level of cooperation with Auburn's internal investigation into the basketball program.

On Wednesday, CBS reported Pearl and his lawyer "have made themselves of service to Auburn's investigation," which like an ESPN report last month stating Pearl was not cooperating with the school's investigation, is not entirely accurate. There has been dialogue between Pearl and school officials for months, but he still has not sat for a formal interview with lawyers from Lightfoot, Franklin & White, the Birmingham-based law firm assisting the school with the investigation.

"There have been no substantive changes," Pearl said. "I think from a national media's perspective, obviously it had been reported and I had really never commented on what levels of cooperation were existing, but we have been working really hard together through the process. There are obviously certain aspects of the investigation that are very private and we're keeping them that way, but there's been no real change."

Pearl again took responsibility as the leader of the program for the allegations made in the federal case against former assistant coach Chuck Person, saying it has put Auburn and school president Steven Leath in a "tough spot."

Contrary to an implication in a report by CBS, Bruce Pearl said there's been "no real change" to his level of cooperation with Auburn's internal investigation into the basketball program.

On Wednesday, CBS reported Pearl and his lawyer "have made themselves of service to Auburn's investigation," which like an ESPN report last month stating Pearl was not cooperating with the school's investigation, is not entirely accurate. There has been dialogue between Pearl and school officials for months, but he still has not sat for a formal interview with lawyers from Lightfoot, Franklin & White, the Birmingham-based law firm assisting the school with the investigation.

"There have been no substantive changes," Pearl said. "I think from a national media's perspective, obviously it had been reported and I had really never commented on what levels of cooperation were existing, but we have been working really hard together through the process. There are obviously certain aspects of the investigation that are very private and we're keeping them that way, but there's been no real change."

Pearl again took responsibility as the leader of the program for the allegations made in the federal case against former assistant coach Chuck Person, saying it has put Auburn and school president Steven Leath in a "tough spot."

In its best all-around performance of the season, Auburn used a balance attack [sic] and overwhelming defensive effort to massacre UConn on a national stage.

All nine available scholarship players scored and rebounded for Auburn, with five players in double-figures, and seven had assists in a 89-64 wire-to-wire ravaging of the visiting Huskies, which shot a season-low 34.3 percent from the field, before a raucous crowd at Auburn Arena on Saturday.

"I think this is the best we played," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "I don't know if this is the best outcome, but I would say on both sides of the ball, we seemed to have an idea how we wanted to play the whole night. We've got ourselves a bit of an identity and I would say this is as well as we've played."

Auburn (11-1) used a 16-0 early run behind a trio of 3-pointers by Malik Dunbar (12 points) to build a commanding lead and never looked back for its ninth straight win.

"We've got to play for the UConn jersey. We've got to play with some pride and some fight," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "That 16-0 (run) took the fight out of us."

No. 22 Auburn erased a 13-point deficit to win 76-68 over Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum.

Auburn (16-1, 4-0 SEC) extended its nation-leading win streak to 14 games, snapped Mississippi State's 12-game home win streak and is in first place in the SEC as the last undefeated team remaining in conference play.

"We gave Bryce Brown a chance to get hot and he got hot," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said during a postgame radio interview. "I mean Bryce got it going. We went to him, the guys did a great job of finding him. But there were times throughout the game where Mustapha would've carried us, or Desean Murray carried us, or Malik (Dunbar)'s threes, or Chuma Okeke making a big and-one. ...

"Right now, it's not our goal because our goal is whatever happens at the end of the year, but it sure does feel good to be in first place in the SEC."

While Auburn basketball is experiencing tremendous success on the court, the cloud of uncertainty about the future of the program persists.https://trib.al/k9IwSDe

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While Auburn basketball is experiencing tremendous success on the court, the cloud of uncertainty about the future of the program persists.

The school's investigation of the program stemming from the FBI's case against former assistant coach Chuck Person is still ongoing and coach Bruce Pearl has still not met with Auburn president Steven Leath or lawyers from law firm Lightfoot, Franklin & White for a formal interview.

"Bruce and his staff are doing a great job on the court," Leath said Friday. "Clearly, Bruce knows that my expectation is that sooner or later he's going to have to come in and talk to me and others on campus about what's going on in the program and we're moving towards a solution on that, but that is an expectation."

In emails to fans sent in November, Leath said Pearl's "unwillingness to even talk" was "troublesome." There has been dialogue between Pearl and school officials for months, but not in an on-the-record capacity.

The sides, which at one point were headed towards possibly firing Pearl if he didn't cooperate before the season, have since come to an understanding for the short-term.

"I think there's a firm understanding and we're all on the same page about the expectations," Leath said. "The confusion has to do with timing, but we're clear on expectations about talking with us on the basketball program."

Last week, the NCAA ruled sophomore center Austin Wiley ineligible for the 2017-18 season after Auburn "self-reported violations involving recruiting, extra benefits and agent-related activity." Auburn is still awaiting the final decision on Danjel Purifoy.

New athletic director Allen Greene said Leath has been "transparent" about the situation with the basketball program, but that he personally has to learn more about the matter.

Support staffers Jordan VerHulst and Frankie Sullivan have been on paid administrative leave for over two months, a decision that came as a result of the internal investigation, but it's still unclear what either party did to warrant the disciplinary action.

"We're still in the middle of that investigation," Leath said. "Surely would be easier to sort that out if everybody would talk to me."

Leath said any decision regarding Pearl's future would "ultimately" be made by Greene, but that he'd be involved as well.

AUBURN, Ala. — Half of the SEC season is complete, and Auburn basketball has a two-game advantage in the league standings over second-place Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee.

In a season that feels like anyone can beat anyone in major college basketball, Auburn has some breathing room at the top of the SEC.

But Bruce Pearl doesn’t want his Tigers to think that at all.

“The way I look at a two-game lead in the SEC is we’re one weekend out of fifth,” Pearl said Thursday. “That’s how I look at it. Maybe that’s the Lou Holtz in me or something, I don’t know. We grind and we prepare one at a time.”

One of the more interesting stats when it comes to Auburn’s huge leap forward this season: Tigers were 274th nationally last year in free throw percentage at 67.2%. This year? Seventh in the nation at 78.5%.

AUBURN, Ala. — Perhaps Bruce Pearl said it best back in late November, when no one really knew what to expect from Anfernee McLemore or Auburn basketball.

“At [6-foot-7], he’s just a really unusual player,” Pearl said of McLemore at the time.

A little more than three months later, those words are right on the money. McLemore is a really unusual player on a really unusual contender.

McLemore leads the SEC with 66 blocks this season and ranks eighth nationally in blocks per game at an even 3. Breaking it down by usage, McLemore ranks second in KenPom’s block percentage — that is, the percentage of opponent 2-point attempts he blocks while he’s in the game — at 17.35.

The nation’s leader in block percentage, Pacific’s Namdi Okonkwo, is a 7-foot senior in a mid-major conference.

The seven players ahead of McLemore on the blocks per game chart are all 6-8 or taller. He ranks just ahead of 7-2 Syracuse center Paschal Chukwu and 7-foot Central Arkansas center Hayden Koval. McLemore is tied with 7-2 former Auburn player and current Texas Southern center Trayvon Reed at 3 blocks per game. He is the shortest player in the list’s top 30.

As one of the shortest centers in college basketball, McLemore has become a fearsome presence in the paint alongside junior Horace Spencer.

“Anfernee, with his ability to just change, intimidate and block shots, as well as his ability to cover, makes [McLemore and Spencer] pretty effective inside defenders,” Pearl said this week.

The Tigers' sophomore center had his appeal to the NCAA regarding his eligibility denied, a school spokesman confirmed to AL.com on Monday. Wiley's appeal took place on Jan. 23, less than two weeks after the NCAA's original ruling.

On Jan. 11, the NCAA ruled that Wiley would be ineligible for the 2017-18 season but could return in 2018-19 after an internal investigation and self-reported violations by Auburn regarding recruiting, extra benefits and agent-related activity.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was asked about the status of Wiley's appeal last week but declined to comment.

"You know what, I'm uh, I'm going to stay away from that right now because it's just not my call," Pearl said Thursday. "But I do believe there's been some resolution to it, but it's not my call to make that statement."

An NCAA spokesman did not respond to AL.com's request for comment on Feb. 1.

Auburn has applied to the NCAA for Danjel Purifoy's reinstatement, a school spokesman confirmed.

Purifoy and Austin Wiley have not played this season due to their connection with the federal case against former assistant basketball coach Chuck Person, who is accused of using his influence to steer them to use the services of a financial advisor.

Last month, the NCAA ruled Wiley ineligible for this season but said he can return for the 2018-19 season and his appeal was denied.

As of Jan. 11, the NCAA stated "Wiley's reinstatement request is the only one the NCAA has received from Auburn." Though the NCAA has not formally announced a decision on Purifoy, who is believed to be "Player-1," whose mother allegedly accepted $11,000 from Person, the school has since applied for his reinstatement.

With the NCAA already having ruled Wiley, whose mother is accused of receiving a total of $12,500 from Person and co-defendant Rashan Michel, ineligible and denying his appeal, Purifoy's chances of reinstatement appear highly unlikely, at best.

After being badly outrebounded during Wednesday's loss to Texas A&M, an outmanned and undersized No. 8 Auburn team edged Georgia on the boards during the Tigers' 78-61 win Saturday afternoon in Stegeman Coliseum.

"(The difference was) hitting them first, I think, and not allowing them to hit us," Heron said. "Against A&M, we allowed them to hit us and do whatever they wanted on the boards, so we hit them first. We made it an emphasis when we watched film, just hitting them first."

That paid off against the Bulldogs (13-11, 4-8 SEC), who turned to a bigger lineup featuring three players standing at least 6-foot-8, including 6-foot-11 freshman Nicolas Claxton. Auburn (22-3, 10-2) outrebounded Georgia, 31-27, and held the Bulldogs to just five offensive rebounds.

Georgia entered the game ... third in the conference in rebounding margin at plus-5.5 per game. The Bulldogs also came into the matchup averaging 12.1 offensive boards per game.

"Sometimes the smaller guy has an advantage because they're quicker to the ball, but if you're really getting after it, you'll find you a way to get a couple rebounds," Georgia coach Mark Fox said. "We haven't been as physical on the glass as we need to be."

NCAA Tournament selection committee has Auburn among the top five teams in the country.

No. 8 Auburn (22-3, 10-2 SEC) is the top No. 2 seed in the committee's initial bracket, which was unveiled Sunday. The official bracket is released on March 11.

With Virginia currently the No. 1 overall seed and in the South region, which will be played in Atlanta, Auburn would have to go to the next closest geographic region.

"Auburn cannot go to Atlanta because we cannot have the top No. 1 seed play the top No. 2 seed," NCAA men's committee chair and Creighton athletic director Bruce D. Rasmussen said on CBS. "So Auburn goes to Omaha (the Midwest region)."

It was the second year the selection committee unveiled its top 16 seeds in-season. Last year, 15 of the 16 teams in the committee's in-season preview stayed in the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm has Bucknell projected to play Auburn in the opening round.

Auburn is in line to make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2003, when it was a No. 10 seed and lost in the Sweet 16 to Syracuse. The highest the Tigers have ever been seeded in the NCAA Tournament was as a No. 1 seed in 1999.

f Tony Barbee isn't too busy "recruiting" to join Kentucky for its trip to the Plains, Bruce Pearl is imploring Auburn fans to "be classy" towards the former Tigers coach.

"I know what it's like in coaching, for better or worse you give everything you have," Pearl said. "I would think it would be fitting with Auburn and be classy. I mean he was our basketball coach for four years, he moved his family here. He was a part of this family."

Since being fired at Auburn following the 2013-14 season, Barbee returned to work for his mentor, John Calipari, first as a special assistant to the head coach in 2014-15 and then as an assistant coach for the last three seasons.

Barbee did not come with Kentucky to Auburn in 2016, when the Tigers snapped an 18-game losing streak in the series with a 75-70 win over the then-No. 14 Wildcats, after which fans stormed the court. At the time, Calipari claimed his protege was out recruiting, an excuse Barbee regularly used to avoid interviews during his time with the Tigers.

As important as the win against the Wildcats was, Pearl didn't want to get caught up in the hype; he understands there's still work to be done with five games remaining on the regular-season slate for Auburnhttps://trib.al/IE53PZK

After his 10th-ranked Tigers toppled SEC blueblood Kentucky, 76-66, for just the third time since 1990, Pearl was tempted to go out on the town and celebrate the occasion with the rest of his coaching staff. Instead, Pearl went home to get some rest and wake up early Thursday morning.

As important as the win against the Wildcats was, Pearl didn't want to get caught up in the hype; he understands there's still work to be done with five games remaining on the regular-season slate for Auburn (23-3, 11-2 SEC).

"I would have really liked to have gone out for a little bit with some of my coaches and just celebrate the moment for a second, but I couldn't, because I had to get up and get ready for South Carolina," Pearl said. "It's just -- there's no time."

That's the approach Pearl is taking to the big picture as Auburn is a lock to end its NCAA Tournament drought and the Tigers are in the discussions for a potential No. 1 seed for just the second time in program history.

Appearing on the Paul Finebaum Show, Yahoo Pete Thamel said he would be “stunned” if Pearl was back coaching Auburn next season, given the FBI investigation into college basketball.

“I would be stunned if Bruce Pearl is the Auburn coach next year,” Thamel told Finebaum. “I can’t wrap my mind around him being back, just using common sense.”

On Thursday, Thamel dropped another bombshell report that stated as many as three dozen college basketball programs could be implicated into the FBI’s investigation into the sport. Auburn has already fired one of Pearl’s assistants, Chuck Person, due to his involvement in the case. Person has a court date set for Feb. 4, 2019.

Pearl also has a checkered past with the NCAA, as his time at Tennessee ended after it came out that he lied to investigators. He was given a three-year show cause by the NCAA but was still hired by Auburn in 2014.

Pearl called Frank Martin classy for coming over to Anfernee McLemore, lending support in that moment.

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Auburn forward Anfernee McLemore suffered a gruesome injury to his lower left leg on Saturday afternoon in the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina, but he appears to be in good spirits.

The sophomore left on a stretcher after suffering a Gordon Hayward-esque injury against the Gamecocks. McLemore’s latest tweet provides more context to what happened:

Thank you Auburn Family for all the love and support! Doctors said I dislocated my ankle, fractured my tibia, and will need surgery for some torn ligaments. Not to worry, I’ll be back in 4-6 months. War Eagle everybody 🦅

No. 12 Auburn (23-4, 11-3 SEC) won't have any contact in practices for the remainder of the season after losing starting center Anfernee McLemore for at least four months following season-ending surgery for a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia he suffered at South Carolina on Saturday.

"I can't see having contact practice the rest of the way," Pearl said before Monday's practice. "We've had one contact practice in the last two weeks and that was one day before Kentucky and it was a factor in our preparation for South Carolina. Typically, in getting ready for South Carolina we would hit Friday but Bryce (Brown) could barely move and I just can't run the risk of getting down (to seven), losing anybody else."

Tigers (24-4, 12-3 SEC) pounced from the opening tip, taking an 8-0 lead in the first 72 seconds, and never trailed.

"We did what we had to do," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "We had to get off to a good start. We had to hit them in the mouth early and our zone defense was really effective tonight. Felt like with seven we couldn't extend defensively with our man-to-man. ... It's hard to take advantage of matchups going up against zone."

Collin Sexton scored a game-high 25 points and had five rebounds and Braxton key had 11 points and eight rebounds for Alabama (17-11, 8-7 SEC), which allowed its most points this season.

The Tigers had just seven healthy scholarship players as Heron was out due to a stomach virus and Anfernee McLemore missed his first game after season-ending leg surgery.

"We told them if Mustapha Heron doesn't play tonight, then they're still a really good basketball team," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. "You only need five guys and they came out and played with a lot of energy and the emotion of McLemore getting injured - teams (are) always looking for a rallying point and play with a lot of desperation and they played more desperate then we did."

Despite being massively undersized, Auburn managed to outscore Alabama in the paint, 30-26, and [won the] rebounding battle 41-35, including 14 on the offensive end that led to 17 second-chance points.

With a chance to clinch a share of the program's first regular-season SEC crown, No. 12 Auburn fell short on the road against Florida, 72-66, Saturday night at Exactech.

"We all know we're a game away from a championship," Pearl said on postgame radio. "So, the pressure builds, and the guys are feeling that, absolutely. We're all feeling that pressure. We just got to get one more."

All signs pointed to a potentially lost season for Auburn basketball before the year even started. Then-associate head coach Chuck Person was caught in the undertow of the FBI's investigation into the criminal influence of money on college basketball, arrested on Sept. 26 and charged with bribery and conspiracy. Star players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy were held out of competition starting Nov. 2 -- before an exhibition loss to Division II Barry -- due to their connections to that same investigation, with Wiley ruled ineligible by the NCAA in January and Purifoy left dangling in limbo all season.

Yet, improbably, the nets were cut down Saturday afternoon in Auburn Arena. No. 14 Auburn clinched its first league title since 1999 and just the third in program history after beating South Carolina, 79-70, in the teams' regular-season finale.

"Having gone through some of the adversity during the course of the season did not sidetrack us," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "Nobody made excuses for being shorthanded. The guys wanted to make history. They truly, truly did. And tonight, it was against some odds."

The win secured Auburn (25-6, 13-5 SEC) the No. 1 seed in next week's SEC Tournament in St. Louis and at least a share of the league's regular-season crown. The Tigers shared the title with Tennessee, which escaped with a 66-61 win against Georgia on Saturday evening.

After being bounced from the SEC Tournament in the quarterfinals against rival Alabama on Friday, Auburn returned home...

fter Auburn's SEC Tournament loss on Friday head coach Pearl divulged where he seems to think his team will be seeded in its first NCAA Tournament since 2003.

"We'll see where our draw's going to be, but let's say we're in the four, five area," Pearl said. "I've been a 12 before, and I've beaten the five, but the most interesting thing about the 5-12 matchups is anything can happen in those matchups."

Auburn went 25-6 in the regular season, including a 13-5 run in SEC play, when it sat atop the conference standings from wire to wire and took home a share of the SEC regular-season title along with Tennessee --

Auburn finished the regular season ranked 16th in the AP poll, and after its loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, the Tigers dropped to 8-6 in Q1 games this season.

Auburn also entered Friday with the No. 8 RPI in the nation, and most NCAA Tournament projections entering the week had the Tigers as either a No. 3 seed or a No. 2 seed --

"I want the team right now to understand that there's as good a chance, no matter what, if we can advance past the first one, there's a pretty good chance that the second one may not be the higher seed or the better seed," Pearl said. "There just is. It's a tough draw because there's so many upsets. So therefore, since we'd be a four or five, we'd be one of those teams that could be upset. But it also could maybe pay off the next day."

Sunday's selection show will tell where Auburn ultimately ends up being seeded, and whether the Tigers could land in a more geographically advantageous opening-weekend site like Nashville, or travel a little further to perhaps Dallas.

Regardless of where the Tigers get bracketed, Pearl's message to his team this week is clear.

"I just want them to get excited about the fact that we're going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003," Pearl said. "Losing (Friday against Alabama) doesn't take any of the shine off of what this team accomplished. We just weren't able to build on it by winning three games (in the SEC Tournament) and winning our next championship."

College of Charleston also goes by C of C, an abbreviation that's appropriate on the hardwood this season as the Cougars have proven that despite their plodding pace of play they are capable of comebacks.

Auburn's opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament ranks 324th in adjusted tempo, according to KemPom, a metric that measures possessions per 40 minutes. Whereas Auburn (25-7) is 21st nationally with 72.2 possessions in regulation, College of Charleston averages 64.6.

However, the Tigers can't fall into the trap of thinking their possession-oriented opponent can be buried easily on Friday in San Diego.

That's all that matters in this tournament. Just ask one-seed Virginia. Just ask Auburn's fellow four seeds, Arizona and Wichita State. They all lost in the first round. Just as Auburn cheerleader Charles Barkley said in the studio on Friday, with relief in his voice and an Auburn-orange tie around his neck, survive and advance.

Style points don't matter if you win. Shooting percentages are meaningless. Missed free throws at the end of a game are instantly forgotten.

You think it's important that Auburn shot 20.8 percent from three-point range in its first-round victory against 13-seed College of Charleston? Nope. It doesn't.

Auburn's Bryce Brown, Horace Spencer and coach Bruce Pearl spoke at a press conference following Auburn's 84-53 loss to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

They and the rest of the team recapped the game and the season for No. 4 seed Auburn (26-8).

Below is a full transcript of what Pearl and Auburn's players said Sunday.

BRUCE PEARL: Dominating performance by Clemson. They played great. They have been playing really well. They've got great guard play. Thomas is a factor. They're extremely well-coached. They were very well prepared. They dominated us.

You know, for me, this basketball team was very undersized. We were down to just eight scholarship players available to us the last six weeks of the season, and yet we managed to hang on there and win an SEC regular season championship. I'm so proud of my players, so proud of our basketball program. But obviously we're very disappointed with the way we played tonight and how we represented our conference.

Q. Bruce, when you look back at this season, obviously this won't be a happy memory today, but does this take away from all those other things that you talked about at all?BRUCE PEARL: No. This doesn't take anything away. As of Sunday afternoon there were 20-something teams still playing in the NCAA Tournament and Auburn was one of them. This is where we want our basketball program. I have no seniors. No seniors! We're the second youngest team in the SEC behind Kentucky. I feel good about the foundation of our program. These kids have been amazing us all season long with their toughness, their resiliency, the way they have played together. Tonight was a night like maybe we had in the SEC Tournament against Alabama, especially the second half against Alabama where we just got overwhelmed. Size was a factor and we made mistakes that certainly contributed to Clemson's success and that's on us. But it doesn't take away from the championship season.